BAMF's May 2017 Cinejourney

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0 Stars

This is Bob Schultz first movie. As for Robert Conway he also did Exit to Hell. If I had looked at that before I watched this I would have known it would be awful. It's too bad the lead is attractive because this movie sucked. It also doesn't deal with coyotes like it mentions in the dangers she faces so yeah. It's also super low budget! The acting itself is absolutely dreadful. Hard avoid!

1 Star

This movie didn't need to be made at all! The first one is far from perfect, but it was still good enough. It was serious and had a good plot. This one however completely destroys that. It doesn't deal with Max's issues or anything. I did kind of like the bad guy for some reason. He is basically one of the main reasons this wasn't complete garbage. The acting is mostly garbage and feels like some bad air bud copycat. I knew it would be bad, but not this bad. It's hard to know what to expect from Brian Levant as his films are pretty mixed in entertainment. It's also written by Steven Altierre who did Norm of the North! Avoid it!

I've heard this one is pretty awful, but I really like Kate Beckinsale so I wanted to give it a shot. I also didn't believe it could be that bad. Boy was I wrong. The idea was interesting, but it was executed so poorly. It was really boring and didn't really offer any good scares. It was pretty nonsensical. It lives up to it's name for sure. Makes it seem almost intentional. Wentworth Miller wrote Stoker so I don't know what happened here. D.J. Caruso is usually a pretty decent director as well. It's definitely not worth checking out at all.

2 Stars

I feel bad for Cam Gigandet. I don't know what happened to him. He started off decent enough with Never Back Down and a few spots here and there. Now he gets small roles or leads in VOD and direct to DVD stuff like this. The acting is pretty bad here and he seems to be the one above the rest. It's pretty darn low budget. It does have some decent action scenes here and there. The story itself is actually interesting enough even if it begins to get cliche. Also I don't understand why the villain sneaks up on several characters making it quite laughable. Overall it's pretty bad. I'm honestly surprised Steven Seagal or Dolph Lundgren weren't in it. Other than Guy Stevenson this is a first for everyone so hopefully they learn from their mistakes here. It's just not worth the watch.

It was an interesting concept, but it was just way too boring for me. It's full of deadpan and dark humor. It's just not done in a way that really captivates you. I'm surprised this isn't Jeff Garlin's first film because it feels like it. Andrea Seigel also wrote Laggies which I still plan to see. I don't understand why he opened it the way he did. I believe they did it that way to make this some sort of parody of detective films. I don't know. I did like the characters. It also had it's moments. It won't be right for everyone, but maybe some will enjoy it.

Okay so the concept of this movie is unique and intriguing. The acting is pretty bad for the most part, but the characters are interesting enough. They really tried to give depth to everyone, but the writing is so poor that it doesn't do them much justice. Daeg Faerch really needs to work on his acting skills. Despite the serious content it almost comes off as a comedy because of the decisions made and the directing. The room they are in opens out, but people can't get in because of it being blocked off which is a huge error in attention to detail. The ending though was actually a nice direction and was actually so unexpected I decided to give this movie the benefit of the doubt. This isn't the first film from Rocky Costanzo, but it is for writer Richard Meese. I think with a better budget and attention to detail this could have been good. It just tries to hard to be a deep story in a low budget world.

So I came across this on Netflix and had no idea it was Syfy and Asylum before watching it. The concept of it sounded interesting. The CGI was so terrible as of course one would expect. The acting equally so. I did like some of the characters. The timeline didn't make a lick of sense though and kind of just zipped on by without explanation. There were moments here and there I liked. I was surprised that I didn't actually hate it despite it not being so good. It's directed by Adam Lipsius who also worked on 16-Love which I've heard of. If you get a kick out of silly Syfy movies then it would be right up your alley otherwise skip it.

Well this was disappointing. The trailer was so interesting and the movie itself just failed! This is proof that just because Emilia Clarke is in it doesn't mean it will be good sadly. Although I can't complain about her performance which was good. In fact the acting was fine. The story, writing, and directing is what is all over the place. The ending had an interesting turn of events. Things happen out of nowhere though and really get awkward and confusing. It's a waste of time and talent. This isn't the first from the writer/director duo, but it's the only one I have heard of. I'm just really not sure what they wanted to accomplish here. I still think it was worth it to see Emilia Clarke anyways.

With this being from Netflix and having a pretty awesome cast I expected much more than was given. It's probably one of the most boring war movies I've seen. The acting is really good and the characters were quite unique. Brad Pitt and Ben Kingsley didn't feel right in this movie though. Brad Pitt felt like a character apart from others. Ben Kingsley was just way too cartoonish and felt awkward here. There is a pretty intense and well done scene with Keith Stanfield who is really proving himself to be quite the star. David Michôd also wrote and directed The Rover and Animal Kingdom which were both quite excellent. It's not a bad watch mind you. It's just really not my type of film. Some might like it though.

I have actually only seen scenes of this when I was younger. I did however watch State of the Union and even watched Return of Xander Cage. While the third one was fun and crazy this one was just kind of bland. Sure it has some cool moments, yet it pales in comparison to the newest entry. You still see where the third gets some of it's ideas. It makes me kind of sad Asia Argento doesn't even cameo in the third one. I really adore her. Marton Csokas is a decent villain here, but not as fantastic as one should be for this type of film. This could have been better, but it really is an average typical action film. It's directed by Rob Cohen so if you are familiar with him you know what to expect from him. Rich Wilkes is mostly only known for this with nothing else really of note. Anyways it may be enjoyable for it's time, but now it just feels old.

I was curious about this one when I saw the trailer. This is another case of the trailer being more interesting than the actual movie. I really liked the characters though and the acting was fine. Machine Gun Kelly is really a decent actor in my opinion. I always find it intriguing when singers, rappers, or models aren't terrible actors. The lead does a great job here and makes you really root for her. Not a lot really happens, but it has creepy moments and some intensity. I don't know quite what I was expecting, but as a zombie film it just didn't captivate me. There are some moments that didn't really make sense and things are quite explained with it. You can always expect something different from directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost who came up with Catfish. It's not quite their most innovative or fun film though sadly. Barbara Marshall wrote a direct to DVD film called Triple Dog which I thought was pretty good as well as upcoming horror movie Wish Upon that looks awesome. Christopher B. Landon has worked a lot in the Paranormal Activity series as well as a few other films I actually enjoyed. Anyways this movie is really a hit or miss.

I caught this on Netflix and the premise reminded me of Jumanji with a horror twist to it. It also is very 80s in reference and style. It was a bit disappointing though in terms of horror and such. It comes of as tacky and a majority of it is boring. It does have moments that were pretty interesting when they actually play pieces of the game. Glad to see Barbara Crampton still working. The lead guy was a bit of an odd choice and he didn't quite pull off his character's complexities. This is the first work from director/writer Jackson Stewart. Stephen Scarlata also wrote Final Girl which disappointing. Though this shows they have promise, but they still need work. If you like 80s cheese maybe you will like this homage.

So I guess Adam Sandler is stuck in the Netflix universe of movies as his past three movies including The Do Over and Ridiculous Six were all Netflix Original releases. It has a ton of his collaborators as expected with some interesting new additions. It's a very typical story too for him. I did find myself enjoying it and laughing a bit at times. I think it ran a bit too long which hinders it some. It really reminded me of Funny People though. It's directed by Steven Brill who has done tons of Adam Sandler's movies. It's written by Paul Sado who worked on The Cobbler as well as Dan Bulla who starred in Sandler's other Netflix features. If you know Adam Sandler's stuff you will know what to expect. That would definitely push away lots of people. Anyways it was a decent one time watch even if a bit predictable.

I was interested in this for some reason although now I'm not entirely sure why. It's very slow and kind of boring. It mostly sticks to developing Ethan Hawke's character. I liked Zoe Kravitz although she didn't do too much here. I did like how they ended it although not sure it was realistic haha. It's written and directed by Andrew Niccol who also worked on The Host and In Time which were pretty fun. This didn't feel like his style at all. It was interesting enough that it kept my attention until it was over. It might be a decent time passer while you are cooking or something.

I wanted to watch Bad Santa 2 so I had to check this one out first. I did see bits of it when I was young and curious. It's too bad Bernie Mac and John Ritter passed after this as they were wonderful here. I'm still not sure I like Lauren Graham or Tony Cox. I've never thought she was that attractive either except for in this for some reason. Billy Bob Thornton is great as usual. Brett Kelly is hilariously awkward and definitely a scene stealer. It wasn't quite as funny as people made it seem though by calling it a classic. It's directed by Terry Zwigoff whom I haven't really heard of but he did also do Ghost World which I have seen around. Glenn Ficarra and John Requa also wrote I Love You, Phillip Morris and Cats & Dogs of which I thoroughly enjoyed both honestly. It's a good movie, but I really don't think it is quite a classic.

This another Netflix war movie that looked promising, but ended up being fairly unimpressive. The acting was great and the idea of story was interesting enough. Those are the main things that keep this from being too plain jane. It's slow and the action scenes are brief and not really focused on. This was directed by Fernando Coimbra who only worked on one other movie of which not many have probably heard of. It's also written by Chris Roessner who doesn't seem to have any other credits either. For people looking for a war movie this probably won't be what you are hoping for. This is a story heavy war movie that still manages to do a decent job even if the action is minimal.

8 Stars

After watching the trailer I really wanted to see this so I took my chance when I could. It wasn't nearly what I was expecting from it, but I still thought it was a whole heck of a lot of fun. The title is a bit misleading as it makes you think of townspeople when it's more of a raid. It has action, blood, and great comedy. Now I say there is blood, but a lot of deaths are mostly off-screen or non-brutal. So if you are looking for a gore fest this will be quite the disappointment. I loved the characters and the acting. Freema Agyeman is amazing as usual and really needs to do more movies. Charlie Cox is great although after watching Daredevil he just seems to look actually blind the way his eyes look. Billy Cook as the young guy is hilarious and I look forward to seeing more from him. This was Jason Flemyng's directorial debut and I have to say he did quite excellent. It's written by Danny King whom I've never heard of and plays a small role here too. I saw negative feels about it, but in my opinion this was worth the watch and I would recommend giving it a shot.

Here we are with another drone movie. This one has a much more remarkable cast than Good Kill. I mean for the most part I wanted to watch this for Helen Mirren. She happens to be quite awesome as expected. Aaron Paul does great here in his role. It's a plus that it also has Alan Rickman who doesn't seem to do a whole lot here sadly. Still the acting is excellent and the story is compelling. What would you do in such a situation? It pulls you in a you wonder what is going to happen next. It looks like the same base area was used like in Good Kill. It's not perfect though I wish there was more, but I'm not sure what that could have been. It's still a solid good movie. It's directed by Gavin Hood who has some hit or misses. He gives himself a pretty sizable role in the film as well which I thought was an interesting decision. The writer Guy Hibbert isn't as well known with only recent film A United Kingdom being his other most notable work. It's definitely worth a look with the story and talent on screen.

So I honestly enjoyed this one more than the first one. I thought it was funnier and the acting/characters were better too. It was a little repetitive, but it made sense of it. I was really surprised Octavia Spencer decided to return for this one after becoming successful. I'm glad Lauren Graham didn't return and her role was filled excellently by Christina Hendricks. She is honestly way more interesting obviously. Tony Cox was still a bit annoying, but slightly more bearable. Billy Bob Thornton still played the role with excellence. Brett Kelly returning as well was a nice touch and just as silly or more so than the first one. Kathy Bates was great as well. I honestly think she is getting more talented as she goes. I am surprised this is directed by Mark Waters who usually does chick flicks like Freaky Friday and Mean Girls. It's also written by Shauna Cross who also does chick flicks like Whip It, What to Expect When You're Expecting, and If I Stay. It's a first for writer Johnny Rosenthal though. Anyways in my opinion this was worth watching and better than the first. I think people bashed it only because it was a sequel that was deemed unnecessary.

This was actually playing at my theater, but I never got around to watching it because nearly three hours sitting straight would have killed me haha. Movies like this you need breaks like they did in the old days. It's a very unique tale that plays basically like a slice of life sort of story and as it plays along it gets pretty insane. The characters are such an interesting selection of misfits that are played really well. Their traditions are odd and they are a bit off the wall, but they are basically kids with no real path and living off each other. Newcomer and lead Sasha Lane is really something here and I do hope she gets more offers after this. There are some really sad bits with things characters deal with. It's definitely a unique experience although the length is felt. It's written and directed by Andrea Arnold whose other films I've only heard about. It's worth a watch if you have three hours to kill or so.

The premise is what caught my attention as I came across this on Netflix. It sounded awesome and fun. It wasn't quite what I expecting though. The story was excellent for a sci-fi action flick. The fights were brief and far in between. What we do see is pretty brutal, but not quite as exhilarating as expected. The acting was great and the lead was awesome. The ending was what really blew my mind with a great turn of events. I'm not familiar with the director or writers although they do have other work. This is definitely worth watching.

This is one horror movie I have heard many things about since it came out. Nobody is safe in this original horror clown movie. I never knew which way it would go which I liked. The acting could have been a little better from the lead. Peter Stormare plays his part with the greatness he usually does. The ending was insane. I do kind of hope they don't make a sequel as this was fine as a stand alone. If they do however I hope they improve only on the scariness. People think it's directed by Eli Roth, but it isn't. It's directed by Jon Watts who worked on Cop Car and the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming with writer Christopher D. Ford. If you are looking for a fun new killer clown movie then check this one out.

I love these kinds of Asian flicks. Where it is completely off the wall, bloody, and yet the story is quite interesting. It keeps you hooked from beginning to end with the insane twists and turns. You keep wondering what is going and how. The reveal was excellent and different. It wasn't quite as I thought going in, but it was better in fact. It's written and directed by Shion Sono who also did The Suicide Club. It's definitely worth checking out if you like crazy Asian movies.

9 Stars

I may be a bit biased because I love to see Degrassi stars after the show, but I absolutely adored this movie. It had a powerful and amazing story. The acting was great. Sarah Fisher pulls off the role with excellence as should be since she had been best friends with the real Carley Allison. It was just so moving and very well done. I didn't know anything about the story here before watching either. The ending was very touching. It's directed by Sean Cisterna who also directed Full Out which starred several Degrassi stars including Sarah Fisher as well. Writer Willem Wennekers also worked on Full Out. It's definitely worth watching for the story and even more so if you like Degrassi stars.

I didn't realize I would enjoy this as much as I did. I watched it with my wife because I had waited for her to see it. It was so cute and funny! My favorite stuff had to be with the wolves though. Who just so happened to be played by favorite comedy duo Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele. I didn't even realize this was an Andy Samberg film until watching it and noticing his buddy Jorma Taccone is also in it. These babies had some weird hairstyles and colors after just being made which was amusing and strange. I don't know why I adored it so much. I just did. It's silly but fun! Doug Sweetland also directed the short Presto which was decent. It was also directed by Nicholas Stoller who typically directs adult movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the Neighbors movies. As for his writing he has done a few kids movies like the two recent Muppets films and Gulliver's Travels. Anyways I would recommend watching this for fun with your kids or someone who adores animation films.

I have been wanting to watch this this I heard of it. It was said that it would be brutal and insane. Well not so quite. Yes it has some moments, but it is actually more tastefully done in some aspects. It's also much more artsy than expected. There were some pretty gross moments. It had some great twists and turns. The characters are interesting and the lead girl really holds her own. I also liked the roommate friend of hers. The ending will absolutely blow your mind. I haven't heard of writer/director Julia Ducournau before this, but I am curious to see more of her from now on. It's incredibly strange and different, but it's definitely worth checking out!

People were not feeling this simply because Scarlett Johansson plays the lead. If you actually give it a chance though you find it is actually pretty damn exciting. I loved that they added in Japanese elements to the story as well as including characters and the language in parts. The action is fun, but not quite as constant as one would expect. The Geisha robots were so cool. I thought Scarlett was great in the role. I also liked the rest of the cast as well. The villain wasn't as I expected which kind of took away from it for me. Still it's quite a solid watch. Rupert Sanders also directed Snow White and the Huntsman which was slightly above average, but not all great. Jamie Moss wrote Street Kings which was actually pretty good. William Wheeler wrote the Queen of Katwe which was fantastic. Ehren Kruger has written several films of varying enjoyment including The first two Ring films, Scream 3, and the middle three of the Transformers saga. So really give this movie a chance you may find you actually enjoy it.

This Netlfix original was something else. It kind of reminded of I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore, Green Room, and The Hollow Point with it's intensity and style. It tends to be slightly frantic in it's storytelling which keeps it from being incredible. Also they seem to just throw in characters to keep the story going without much thought for them. It didn't bother me too much because it's still quite interesting. There are some really well done and cool moments. The ending left me breathless. It's directed by E.L. Katz who also directed Cheap Thrills and segment A is for Amateur in ABC's of Death 2. Macon Blair helped with the screenplay which makes sense given the brutal moments and styling of the film. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I think it's worth a chance.

When I saw the trailer I thought this looked absolutely ridiculous with motorcycles in water and everything. Turns out it is ridiculous. Ridiculously fun! Yeah this has to be my favorite of the series so far. The stunts are insane and ridiculous. The fight scenes are bad ass. It's unrealistic by a huge margin, but I felt so giddy watching it. I had a lot of fun. It was just too entertaining. I loved the characters. Although one of the villains was particularly lame. Nina Dobrev was adorable. Yay for Degrassi lol. Ruby Rose is awesome. Rory McCann and Tony Jaa are amusing. I would like to see more from Deepika Padukone now. I think Shawn Roberts should have done more he was basically a glorified cameo. Can you believe that this was also directed by D.J. Caruso who did The Disappointments Room that I thoroughly loathed! Rich Wilkes returns to write for this sequel. I haven't seen the work from F. Scott Frazier, but I have wanted to see Collide and The Numbers Station. Anyways this is fun and energetic. So turn off your brain for a bit and enjoy the mindless fun this offers.

People said this was white-washed because Matt Damon plays the lead, but it really isn't and it explains that. Even China praised the movie and wasn't offended by him being in it. It's even directed by Chinese director Yimou Zhang who did House of Flying Daggers and Hero. It's visually stunning. The battles are awesome and intense. I liked the designs of the monsters. Pedro Pascal is my favorite here though. I always enjoy him in things especially after Game of Thrones. It took three people to screenplay and three people who came up with the story. With that I am glad it turned out enjoyable. Carlo Bernard and Doug Miro also wrote The Uninvited and Prince of Persia(which itself was actually white-washed). Tony Gilroy has worked on several films including the Bourne saga and Armageddon. Max Brooks who wrote the Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z of which the movie is very loosely based helped come up with the story here. Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz who are well known for directing and writing The Last Samurai and other works also helped with the story. This is another one you can simply just enjoy for it being fun as the plot is quite simple and more focused on being visual and action packed.